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"That is a difficult question to answer." Abbas touched a hand to his mouth as he eyed Hector. "But perhaps you will understand. You were gifted the Amir-9 prototype unit by Sazandara, were you not?"

Hector paused. Amir-9? Prototype? What was he--?

Oh, wait a minute.

"You mean this?" Hector materialized Haqq's heater shield into his left hand.

The Lord Saqqaf's eyes just about popped out of his head. He said something Valgan that Hector didn't quite catch, and then recomposed himself. He pocketed the CPU he was holding and then held his hands out as if to ask for the shield. "May I?"

Hector handed it over.

Abbas inspected it up and down with his mouth hanging slightly open.

Hector and Garovel exchanged glances while they waited.

Abbas pressed his right hand against the face of the shield, stretching all five fingers out wide and closing his eyes. After a moment, he opened them again and handed the shield back to Hector.

Rather than taking it, Hector simply dematerialized it.

Abbas blinked as he shook his head. "Unbelievable... how in the world were you able to assimilate it into your materialization?"

"Uh... well, I didn't do it. Rasalased did."

That response made Abbas look even more incredulous.

Hmm. So it was called the Amir-9 prototype, huh? That was news to Hector. He'd just been thinking of it as Haqq's shield this whole time. He resummoned it into his hand and looked it over again. "Unfortunately, it seems to have lost its soul-enhancing properties, but other than that, it's still just as durable as it used to be, I think."

Apparently, Abbas still needed a few more moments to find his words. "...And it still regenerates on its own? Without thought from you?"

"It does," said Hector.

"That is what I was getting at before you... showed me..." He trailed off, eyes having grown distant again.

Worwal jumped in to help him again. 'His armor can regenerate in a similar manner, is what he is trying to say, I believe.'